Travels With Nate

Every so often I get sent a beer book review and from the moment I got a press release about Mikkeller's Book of Beer  I was excited. Mikkel Borg Bjergsø is one of the most famed and exciting brewers in Europe, if not the world I knew that hearing what he has to say about how he started up, why he does what he does and his view on beer would surely be exciting. First of all, the layout of the book is beautiful. It's so cleanly laid out yet full of Mikkeller's in house artist Keith Shore's artwork and wonderful photographs. First we have a brief history of beer, which basically retells many of the myths we've all learned are crap but it's entertaining and captivating nonetheless, before we get to Mikkeller's story. The whole story of Mikkeller is a fascinating one and the way he tells it cuts the bullshit. I've heard many stories from many different people about how he came to start brewing and none of them are remotely close to the one in this book...

I make it no secret that I'm a bit of a beer geek so whenever I tell someone that I don't brew my own beer, they're always surprised. This isn't just the rest of my fellow geeks but just friends and family who have no interest in beer. They ask me why not, and I've made so many pathetic excuses. I've said I don't have the space, when I know full well that all you need is a kitchen. I've said I don't have the time, which is bullshit of course as I have a fair bit of time. I guess the most realistic excuse I've used is that I can't be bothered, because I couldn't. Towards the end of 2012, I started seriously thinking about it and then forgot because I got pissed. Several times. I then started thinking about it again, and gave up again. This time, however, I am going to do it. I'm going to homebrew, and here's why: 1) I like beer - It's a simply enough reason. That's the main reason anyway. I like beer so why shouldn...